diff --git a/dask_kubernetes/classic/kubecluster.py b/dask_kubernetes/classic/kubecluster.py
index f720787fc..5adca3406 100644
--- a/dask_kubernetes/classic/kubecluster.py
+++ b/dask_kubernetes/classic/kubecluster.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 import dask.distributed
 import distributed.security
 from distributed.deploy import SpecCluster, ProcessInterface
-from distributed.utils import Log, Logs
+from distributed.utils import format_dashboard_link, Log, Logs
 import kubernetes_asyncio as kubernetes
 from kubernetes_asyncio.client.rest import ApiException
 
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@
     namespace_default,
     escape,
 )
-from ..common.networking import get_external_address_for_scheduler_service
+from ..common.networking import (
+    get_external_address_for_scheduler_service,
+    port_forward_dashboard,
+)
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -495,6 +498,11 @@ def __init__(
         self.kwargs = kwargs
         super().__init__(**self.kwargs)
 
+    @property
+    def dashboard_link(self):
+        host = self.scheduler_address.split("://")[1].split("/")[0].split(":")[0]
+        return format_dashboard_link(host, self.forwarded_dashboard_port)
+
     def _get_pod_template(self, pod_template, pod_type):
         if not pod_template and dask.config.get(
             "kubernetes.{}-template".format(pod_type), None
@@ -626,6 +634,10 @@ async def _start(self):
 
         await super()._start()
 
+        self.forwarded_dashboard_port = await port_forward_dashboard(
+            self.name, self.namespace
+        )
+
     @classmethod
     def from_dict(cls, pod_spec, **kwargs):
         """Create cluster with worker pod spec defined by Python dictionary
diff --git a/dask_kubernetes/common/networking.py b/dask_kubernetes/common/networking.py
index 48b1def82..95ea501f8 100644
--- a/dask_kubernetes/common/networking.py
+++ b/dask_kubernetes/common/networking.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 import time
 from weakref import finalize
 
-from dask.distributed import Client
 import kubernetes_asyncio as kubernetes
 
 from .utils import check_dependency
@@ -89,16 +88,22 @@ async def port_forward_service(service_name, namespace, remote_port, local_port=
 
 
 async def is_comm_open(ip, port, retries=10):
+    sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
     while retries > 0:
-        try:
-            async with Client(f"tcp://{ip}:{port}", asynchronous=True, timeout=2):
-                return True
-        except Exception:
-            time.sleep(0.5)
+        result = sock.connect_ex((ip, port))
+        if result == 0:
+            return True
+        else:
+            time.sleep(2)
             retries -= 1
     return False
 
 
+async def port_forward_dashboard(service_name, namespace):
+    port = await port_forward_service(service_name, namespace, 8787)
+    return port
+
+
 async def get_scheduler_address(service_name, namespace):
     async with kubernetes.client.api_client.ApiClient() as api_client:
         api = kubernetes.client.CoreV1Api(api_client)
diff --git a/dask_kubernetes/experimental/kubecluster.py b/dask_kubernetes/experimental/kubecluster.py
index e1aee1420..34c430712 100644
--- a/dask_kubernetes/experimental/kubecluster.py
+++ b/dask_kubernetes/experimental/kubecluster.py
@@ -12,8 +12,14 @@
 
 from distributed.core import Status, rpc
 from distributed.deploy import Cluster
-
-from distributed.utils import Log, Logs, LoopRunner, TimeoutError
+from distributed.utils import (
+    Log,
+    Logs,
+    LoopRunner,
+    TimeoutError,
+    LoopRunner,
+    format_dashboard_link,
+)
 
 from dask_kubernetes.common.auth import ClusterAuth
 from dask_kubernetes.operator import (
@@ -23,6 +29,7 @@
 
 from dask_kubernetes.common.networking import (
     get_scheduler_address,
+    port_forward_dashboard,
     wait_for_scheduler,
 )
 
@@ -154,6 +161,11 @@ def __init__(
     def cluster_name(self):
         return f"{self.name}-cluster"
 
+    @property
+    def dashboard_link(self):
+        host = self.scheduler_address.split("://")[1].split("/")[0].split(":")[0]
+        return format_dashboard_link(host, self.forwarded_dashboard_port)
+
     async def _start(self):
         await ClusterAuth.load_first(self.auth)
         cluster_exists = (await self._get_cluster()) is not None
@@ -203,6 +215,9 @@ async def _create_cluster(self):
             await wait_for_scheduler(cluster_name, self.namespace)
             await wait_for_service(core_api, f"{cluster_name}-service", self.namespace)
             self.scheduler_comm = rpc(await self._get_scheduler_address())
+            self.forwarded_dashboard_port = await port_forward_dashboard(
+                f"{self.name}-cluster-service", self.namespace
+            )
 
     async def _connect_cluster(self):
         if self.shutdown_on_close is None:
@@ -222,6 +237,9 @@ async def _connect_cluster(self):
             await wait_for_scheduler(self.cluster_name, self.namespace)
             await wait_for_service(core_api, service_name, self.namespace)
             self.scheduler_comm = rpc(await self._get_scheduler_address())
+            self.forwarded_dashboard_port = await port_forward_dashboard(
+                f"{self.name}-cluster-service", self.namespace
+            )
 
     async def _get_cluster(self):
         async with kubernetes.client.api_client.ApiClient() as api_client: